the signal for his death, and the place in which he had glatted his eyes with the last agonies of his king, was justly destined to become the efcene where he himself was to lose his head by the hands of an execa-tioner. 1 Thus fell, by that very system of disorganization which he himself had introduced, Lewis Philip Duke of Orleans, a coward, an assassin, La traitor; an ambitious man without genius; a bloody-minded man without energy. He lived destitute of virtue; he died destitute of re-morse. His hideous and deformed carcase has become the prey of vultures, and it is in the entrails of those animals, less ferocious than yhimself, that the merciless and inhuman Philip has found a tomb. THE ACCOUNT OF PENPARK-HOLE, IN THE COUNTY OF GLOUCESTER. BY GEORGE SYMES CATCOTT. HE very melancholy circumstance of the Rev. Mr. Newnam's falling into Penpark-Hole, on the 17th of March 1775, greatly sexcited the curiosity of the public, and for some weeks brought together a vast concourse of people daily to visit the gloomy spot. A few persons of credit summoned fortitude sufficient to descend into, and explore this dreary cavern, which attempt would upon any other occa-sion have been rejected with horror, and deemed almost impracticable. The mouth of this subterraneous cavern runs nearly east and west, being about thirty-five feet long, and fourteen wide. Near the middle is a separation caused by an ash tree, the root of which growing part in the north bank, and part in the south, supports the tree growing over the mouth of this (as I may very justly call it) tremendous cavern, for never did I till then see so dreadful a chasm. A little below this tree, cis a prop or pillar of stone, which appears to have been left with a design to keep the north or back part from falling down. Below this Jopillar the tunnel extends itself higher and wider. About twelve yards 25 from the surface or mouth of the hole is a smaller cavity, running westward, down which a person may (if he is cautious) go safely without assistance; and at the bottom, by leaning over the precipice of the rock, in a clear and light day, have a distinct view of the form and structure. of the main tunnel, and part of the water below. When the cavern is viewed from this place, the spectator is immediately struck with horror at the sight of the rugged rocks which hang over-head, and the deep' and gloomy gulph beneath. The few (and indeed they are but very few) who bag been bold enough to go to the bottom of this dreary 2. Cave ended at the place where the unfortunate Mr. Newnam fell -14ns whi es nearly east and west, as mentioned before; and were let -down gradually by the assistance of two or three men, who attended there for that purpose. The ropes, which ran in pullies, were fastened to the root of the ash tree before mentioned. At first the entrance is very steep, and continues so for about twenty-seven feet. I am in. formed by a gentleman (Mr. William White) who has taken a very ac curate survey of it, that it is four feet in six perpendicular; and the roof, in some places, not three feet in height. When you are passed this place, you immediately disappear from the eyes of the spectators. About thirty feet lower, there is a large cavern on each side the rock, one in an east, the other in a west direction; that on the western side, which is much the smaller, may be easily entered; but that on the eastern, which is about five yards higher up, is far more difficult of access ; though some few very curious persons have been bold enough to enter them both. An ingenious person of my acquaintance (the before-mentioned Mr. William White), who has taken a very exact drawing of the whole, informed me that he had visited both these caverns: that to the westward extends about twenty yards, where he found the way nearly stopped up by several large cragged stones, which appear to have fallen from the roof. These caverns are rendered still more gloomy by the bats, which are sometimes seen flying about them. I had a tolerable view of both caverns in my paffage up and down, but as I was unused1 to visit such places, I was too anxious for my own safety to enter that on the eastern side, but contented myself with taking an accurate sur yey of the other. About the midway there is a small projection of the rock, scarce large enough for two persons to stand on. Here I staid some minutes to breathe, as well as to take a view of this dreary place, as it cannot be seen to so much advantage from any other part. When I had suffciently gratified my curiosity, I walked from thence along the ridge of the rock into the western cavern, which I found to be about thirty feet long, and eight or ten broad at the entrance, and nearly as much in height. I found this apartment perfectly dry, but nothing worthy of observation in it; there were a few loose stones scattered up and down the bottom, but they were neither so large nor numerous as those in the caverns below. I know not whether it may be worth mentioning, but I thought it somewhat remarkable, that when I last visited this place, I could not see a single bat in any part of it; I suppose they had changed their habitation, finding themselves disturbed and molested by persons daily descending to their peculiar domains. When you have passed these caverns, you descend in a direct perpendicular, between thirty and forty feet, after which you reach the bottom by a descent almost as steep as that you just before passed. I imagine the whole length from the surface to the bottom, when the water is low, to be about zoo feet. When you are arrived there, you land on a large quantity of broken rocks, dirt, stones, &c. partly thrown down by persons who visit the mouth of the cave from motives of curiosity, and partly by rains, melting of snow, &c. which form a kind of bay between two caverns, both filled, when I was there the first time, with water. When you survey the place from hence, objects only of the most dismal kind present themselves to view from every quarter; and indeed nothing less than ocular demonstration can con vey to the mind an adequate idea of the gloomy appearance of these subterranean caverns. The deep water almost directly under your feet, rendered still more gloomy by the faint glimmering rays of light reflected upon its surface from the openings of the chasms above, and the black rugged rocks, horrid precipices, and deep yawning caverns over head, brought to my remembrance the following lines of Milton : "The dismal situation waste and wild, The cavern on the left, which runs westward, is seventy-eight feet in length, and sixteen in breadth. The entrance into it is rendered very awful by a shelving roof on the north side, about twenty feet high, which gradually decreases till it terminates in small branches running in among the rocks. When I visited this place (Easter-Monday, Apr. 17,) the water was totally desiccated, and as I had with me a sufficient quantity of lights, I had an opportunity, by disposing of them properly, of traversing it quite to the end, and examining every part with the most minute circumspection, which I could not do before. I was however obliged to be very cautious how I proceeded, as the bottom and sides were still very slippery and damp, occasioned by the mud and slime which the water had deposited. On examining this cavern, I observed a large quantity of semipellucid spar on the sides and bottom; some of the former I brought up with me, but that which adhered to the bottom was of a whiter colour, and appeared more opaque than the other. On the lower end and sides are chasms through which, I suppose, the water vents itself; and from the mud and slime remaining on the sides of the rock, I conceive there must be at least eight feet of water in this cavity. in the wet seasons. The bottom was entirely covered with large rough stones, some of them near a ton weight, which appeared to have fallen from the roof and sides. On the right, a large spacious apartment: opens to your view, about ninety feet long, and fifty-two broad, running from the landing-place towards the north-east, with a hard rocky vaulted roof, about thirty feet above the water, when I was there the first time; but when the water is at the lowest, I suppose it must be at least ninety feet, so that you cannot even with the assistance of torches discover distinctly the summit of it. A place so spacious and lofty must exhibit to a person unaccustomed to subterranean caverns, a scene the most dismal and dreary that ima-. gination can possibly paint; and the pendant rocks which sometimes break in very large pieces over head, and from the sides, strike the mind with dreadful aprehensions of danger. The roof appears to be of nearly an equal height in every part; ande very much resembles the ceiling of a gothic cathedral. The sides are almost perpendicular, and considering the whole to be entirely the work of nature, of uncommonly just proportion. The place is rendered still awful by the great reverberation which attends the voice when you speak loud; and if thoroughly illuminated, must have a very beautiful appearance. The water which, when I was there at both times, totally covered the bottom, was of an oval form, and as sweet, clear, and good, as any I ever drank, and in many places between seven and eight fathom deep; but in August 1762, it was found not more than one fathom: so that in a dry season, you may (as I am informed) safely walk round the sides. And notwithstanding, when I visited this place a second time, it was at least twenty feet perpendicular lower than when I first went there, as it is supposed, upon the most just calculation, to sink about ten inches in a day and a night. I could not perceive the least appearance of the two prominent rocks, as mentioned by Captain Collins, who visited this place in Sept. 1682. By this gentleman's account it appears, there are some caverns in the largest chasm, which, when I was there, were filled with water, and consequently not discernable. Perhaps, when the place is free from that inconveniency, it may exhibit a very different appearance from what it did when I was there, and may be of much larger dimensions. As I was determined during my stay, which was about an hour and a half, to view the place attentively, I made one of the men row a floating stage (launched whilst I was there) with several candles on it, which burnt perfectly clear, twice round the cavern, so that I had a tolerable view of every part of it.At the further end, about eight feet above the water, (when I was first there) is a cave, which sup pose to be the same as mentioned by Captain Sturmey, who visited this place in 1669; the entrance into which is about ten feet broad, and five high, and very much resembles the mouth of a large oven. gentleman who has traversed it almost to the end, assured me, it was nearly as long as the large one below, but much narrower. A Having by this time sufficiently gratified my curiosity, I began to think, to use the words of a great and ancient poet, of once more revisiting "The roddie Lemes of Daie." I found the ascent far more difficult than the descent, and was struck with horror at the sight of the rugged rocks I had just passed. In my passage up, I was greatly alarmed by being thrown on my back, in a place where the rock was almost directly perpendicular over the water, but soon recovered myself, though not without difficulty, and was very thankful when I had once more put my feet on terra firma, and had a sight of my anxious friends and acquaintance, who flocked round me, as if I had been a being risen from the subterranean world; and laughed very heartily when they saw the dirty condition I was in, and the very grotesque figure I made with a large collier's hat, jacket and trowsers, and my handkerchief bound round my head. I shall now take leave for the present of this dismal place, with the following remark, viz. Should any one be desirous of seeing yawning caverns, dreadful precipices, pendant rocks, and deep water, rendered still more tremendous by a few faint glimmering rays of light reflected from its surface (which had passed through the crannies above) than if obscured by total darkness; let him descend, and take a survey of Penpark-Hole, and I will engage his curiosity will be fully gratified, as he will there see such dismal scenes as are scarcely to be paralleled, and of which the most lively imagination can form, at best, but a very faint idea. An ingenious person*, who has several times descended this place in search of Mr. Newnam's body, twice made the tour of Europe, and visited most of the remarkable caverns in this part of the globe, assured me, he had seen very few more horrid and difficult to explore than that of Penpark-Hole. A ON READING. [By Mr. AIKIN.] T the head of all the pleasures which offer themselves to the man of liberal education, may confidently be placed that derived) from books. In variety, durability, and facility of attainment, no other can stand in competition with it; and even in intensity it is inferior to few. Imagine that we had it in our power to call up the shades of the greatest and wisest men that ever existed, and oblige them to Converse with us on the most interesting topics-what an inestimable privilege should we think it!-how superior to all common enjoyments! But in a well furnished library we, in fact, possess this power. We can question Xenophon and Cæsar on their campaigns, make De mosthenes and Cicero plead before us, join in the audiences of Socrates and Platò, and receive demonstrations from Euclid and Newton. In books we have the choicest thoughts of the ablest men in their best dress. We can at pleasure exclude dulness and impertinence, and open our doors to wit and good sense alone. It is needless to repeat the high commendations that have been bestowed on the study of letters by persons, who had free access to every other source of gratification. Instead of quoting Cicero to you, I shall in plain terms give you the result of my own experience on this subject. If domestic enjoyments have contributed in the first degree to the happiness of my life, (and I should be ungrateful not to acknowledge that they have) the pleasures of reading have beyond all question held the second place. Without books I have never been able to pass a single day to my entire satis faction with them, no day has been so dark as not to have its pleasure. Even pain and sickness have for a time been charmed away by them. By the easy provision of a book in my pocket, I have frequently worn through long nights and days in the most disagreeable parts of my profession, with all the difference of my feelings between calm content and fretful impatience. Such occurrences have afforded full proof both of the possibility of being cheaply pleased, and of the The gentleman above alluded to is Captain James Hamilton, formerly an officer in the late King of Prussia's service. VOL. II. B b |